Tire tube



A. E. HENDERSON May 13, 1924. v 1,493,622

TIRE TUBE Filed June 5. 1919 Patented May 13, 1924.

UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TIRE TUBE.

Application filed June 5, 1919. Serial No. 301,915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ALBERT E. HENDER- SON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada,

have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Tire Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide an inner tube for tires wherein there is incorporated an efficient and at the same time simplified form of rim-side reinforcement designed as a means of protection against the pinching of the tube in the event, for

example, of a partial deflation, and as a means of determining the inner circumferential dimensions of the tube while serving as an element, at any desired and pro-determined point or points, of a valve base designed to reinforce the rubber of the tube around the valve stem opening and insure a leakage proof engagement of the valve stem with the tube while guarding against the rupture or fracture of. the rubber at or near the opening due to any tendency of the tube to creep relative to the wheel rim in the use of the device. 1

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood, however, that changes in form, proportion and detail may be resorted to, within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the principles involved.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view of a portion of a tire tube constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the same at the point adjacent to a valve stem base, the successive layers or elements being broken away to disclose the relations therebetween.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the same tube at a point not specially adapted for use as a valve base, and designed to indicate the general structure and arrangement of the elements throughout the major portion of the tube.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a slightly modified and simplified construction of the rim-side reinforcement.

Fig. i is a view similar to Figure 2 of an intermediate portion of the tube illustrated in Figure 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the tube illustrated in Figure 1.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the construction of tube illustrated in Figure 3.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of the tube illustrated in Figure 1.

Fig. 8 is a similarview of the construction illustrated in Figure 3.

Primarily the invention consists in incorporating longitudinally in the rim-side of the tube a substantially continuous reinforcement, preferably of fabric such as canvas or its equivalent, the introduction of such reinforcement being effected in the course of the rolling of the tube on the mandrel preparatory to vulcanizing, and the object of the same being to determine the rim-side circumferential dimensions of the tube while constituting an element of a valve base which may be produced at one or more points throughout the length there- 7 of, according as the conditions of proposed use may indicate. To this end the continuous reinforcement may consist as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and also in Figure 7 of inner and outer elements (10) and (11), arranged in parallelism and separated radially of the tube by an interposed layer of rubber (12), or, as shown in Figures 3, 4: and 8 of a single element (13) disposed between adjacent layers, plies or lamina of rubber as shown at (14). As shown in Figures 2 and 4 the extremities of the members of these continuous reinforcing elements throughout the body portion of the tube are disposed in overlapping relation. For 99 example as shown in Figure 2 a joint between members of the fabric element (11) is disposed in staggered relation with the joint between the members of the element (10), while in the construction shown in 5 Figure 4 one element is extended over the other but is spaced therefrom by an interposed layer of rubber to prevent contact and permit a limited longitudinal movement of the parts of the reinforcing element due 100 to the yielding quality of the interposed rubber.

At such point or points as may be selected for the arrangement of a valve base, when for example the double form of rim-side reinforcement is employed as in 'Figure 1 (in which connection also see Figures 6 and 7 the extremities of the members constituting the inner and outer strips (10) and (11) are spaced apart in registration with each other as indicated at (15). Overlapping the spaces or slots thus formed, transversely of the tube, is arranged a valve patch (16), provided with aslot or opening (17), which isextended on a line at an angle to or transversely of the slot between the extremities of the reinforcement members, so that a valve stem opening produced by means of a punch or otherwise, as indicated at (18) in Figure 7, will pass through rubber only, between the edges of the intersecting slots of the reinforcing elements and the valve patch. The fabric of said elements and patch will surround said opening and will reenforce the same in all directions to prevent tearing or mutilation of the walls thereof while permitting suflicient stretch or yielding of the parts to permit of the introduction of the button or disc on the inner end of the valve stem, so that the latter may be introduced into the valve stem opening from the outside or" the tube.

In the construction illustrated in Figures 3 and 8, and shown in section in Figure 5, where only a single rim-side reinforcing element is employed the valve base is produced in connection with said element by disposing, in parallelism therewith, and overlapping the adjacent extremities thereof, a patch (19), which in this instance is shown as consisting of two parts or members spaced apart throughout their lengths to form a slot (20), open from end to end and disposed at an angle to the slot or opening (21) between the extremities of the reinforcement members and hence in intersecting relation therewith to provide a point of registration at which a valve stem opening may be formed under such conditions as to insure the reinforcement of the rubber on all sides of the opening to engage the valve stem seated therein.

Obviously the rim-side reinforcing element, whether constructed in the double form of Figure 1 or the single form of Figure 3 may be in one continuous length, but it is preferable as indicated in Figures 2 and 4 to construct it of a limited number of members with the adjacent extremities of the members arranged in overlapping relation with interposed rubber so as to afford a limited cushioned or yielding movement between the members, and thus minimize the effect of longitudinal'strains which may be applied to the tube when in use. It is only necessary to take advantage of one of these division points between the members of the reinforcing element to provide the indicated valve base, by the location at the point of a valve patch disposed in overlapping relation with the adjacent extremities of said members and having an opening or slot disposed to intersect the opening between the members and thus afford a point of registration at which the valve stem openingmay be formed.

1 claim:

1; A tire tube having a rim-side reinforcement consisting of a fabric strip in corporated in the rubber wall of the tube and a slotted patch also incorporated in said wall in radially spaced parallel relation with the strip, with its slot in intersecting registration with a similar slot in the strip to constitute in relation therewith a reinforced valve base.

2. A tire tube having a rim-side reinforcement consisting of a substantially continuous fabric strip incorporated in the rubber wall of the tube and serving to determine the rim-side circumferential dimensions of the same, said strip being provided at an intermediate point with a slot, and a slotted patch, also incorporated in said wall in transversely spaced relation with the strip and having its slot arranged in intersecting relation with that of the strip to constitute in connection therewith a valve stem base.

3. A tire tube having a rim-side reinforcement consisting of a substantially continuous fabric strip incorporated in the rubber wall of the tube, and a fabric patch also incorporated in said wall in overlapping relation with the strip and spaced therefrom b an interposed layer of rubber, said strip and patch being slotted in intersecting relation to provide a point of registration for the formation of an intermediate valve stem opening, substantially as set forth.

4'. A tire tube having a rim-side reinforcement consisting of fabric strips extending about the rim-side wall of the tube with the intervals between the ends of the said strips spanned by a patch disposed in overlapping relations with said ends and spaced therefrom by an intervening layer of rubber, said patch being provided with an elongated opening in intersecting relation with said interval between the strips.

5. A tire tube having a rim-side reinforcement consisting of terminally spaced fabric strips extending throughout the rim-side wall of the tube with the extremities of the sections of one strip in overlapping relation with those of the other strip, the diametrically registering intervals between the extremities of the elements of said strips being spanned by a patch disposed in overlapping relation with said extremities and spaced therefrom by intervening layers of rubber, said patch consisting of fabric elements spaced apart transversely to form a slot in registratlon at an intermediate point with said registering intervals to provide for a valve stem opening extending through the intervening rubber of the tube Wall.

6. A tire tube having a substantially continuous rim-side reinforcement of fabric and a parallel valve patch of fabric separated from the said reinforcement by an interposed layer of rubber, one of said fabric elements being cut. on the bias as to the weave of the material and each of them having a slot disposed in angularly intersecting relation with the slot of the other to provide an unrestricted rubber area for a valve jacent to the opening adapted to receive the valve stem, substantially as set forth.

8. A tire tube having a rim-side re-enforcement consisting of protecting fabric incorporated in the rubber wall of the tube,

- the adjacent ends of the sections of the said fabric forming together with superposed slotted fabric, oppositely disposed edges adjacent to the opening adapted to receive the valve stem, said slotted fabric separated radially from the protecting fabric by rubber, substantially as set forth.

9. A tire tube having a rim-side reenforcement consisting of a fabric strip incorporated in the rubber wall of the tube and provided with a valve base consisting of'overlapping fabric provided with intersecting slots apertured to receive the valve stem, substantially as set forth.

10. A tire tube having a rim side reinforcement and radially overlapping fabric portions cooperating therewith to form a valve base, substantially as set forth.

11. A tire tube having a rim side reinforcement provided with fabric having intersecting slots radially spaced by rubber to form a valve base, substantially as set forth.

a 12. A tire tube having an aperture for the button of a valve stem and a plurality of fabric strips imbedded in the tube contiguous to said aperture, said strips being separated from each other and from the surface of the tube by rubber and having portions attached to over-lap with protecting fabric in the rim side of the tube substantially as set forth.

ALBERT ENNIS HENDERSON. 

